


Allied Swords

by Sajira (Satsuriku_sama)



Category: Prince of Persia - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 15:13:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2072973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satsuriku_sama/pseuds/Sajira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Turkish Legend was always just a legend to me. Now I learned to believe in everything until prooved otherwise. Prince's POV. If you haven't read Turkish Legend before, you should.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> If you read my other story titled "Turkish Legend" you should get a good backgroud of Aysun.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Sands of Time series and am in no way associated with Ubisoft. I'm just a member of the fandom who feels like screwing around with the characters and has no life. On that note, please enjoy.

_We all make mistakes. Some are small, some are large. But his mistake, born of innocence, fuelled by pride, was the greatest and most terrible of them all._

They were almost there. A few more minutes, and they would be in Babylon. After all those long weeks of sailing, the Prince trying not to let his impatience show, they were finally going to be able to rest after a big feast in their honor.

The Prince looks down at his amulet.

' _All that is yours is rightfully mine!_ '

' _You cannot change your fate._ '

Shaking his head to disperse the hauting voices, he looks back up, resisting the urge to fidget until he could glimpse his town.

_Some believed that when the Prince journeyed to the Island of Time to escape death that he returned alone. The amulet destroyed, the Dahaka appeased, the Empress dead, the Prince was free at last. But this is not how it happened. The truth is that he chose to save the Empress from her destiny. In doing so he set her free…and doomed us all…_

"Prince, of all the possible futures, this one held the most promise that something has changed." Kaileena left her place at the ship's edge and stared walking over to the prince.

"Do not worry Kaileena; no harm will come to you in Babylon." He said, turning to face her. "I promise. Look, we are nearly home."

Just as his words left his lips, the city, at last, came in view.

"No!" The prince stood shocked lokking at the burning remains of Babylon.

Arrows are shot at the small ship and a flaming stone is catapulted. Kaileena and the Prince are thrown into the water as the ship falls apart.

The prince falls into the water and flails disoriented for a moment. Surfacing, he throws his hair back and gasps, holding on to a floating board. "Kaileena?" He sees Kaileena floating, unconscious, on another wrecked piece of the ship.

"Kaileena!" He reaches out for her, but the current is too strong, and the moments he spent underwater, without oxygen, weakened him. He slumps over the wood and passes out.

_As the ship lay sinking in the harbor, the Prince found himself in a city quite different from the one he left behind. The normally busy wharves were now decimated. Blood spattered awnings and splintered doorframes were all that waited to greet him. And the people… merchants, beggars, fishermen… were nowhere to be found… others had taken their place._


	2. Chapter 2

' _Why am I wet?_ '

I sluggishly open my eyes and stand up, looking around. ' _Yes, it all comes to me now, but where is Kaileena?_ '

I spot her on another shore, not so very far from myself, and two guards inspecting her passed out body. One of them kicks her in the side, though she does not waken. Uninterested, he walks away. Rage fuels inside me as the other lifts her up over his shoulder and carries her away.

"Let her go!" I pound my fist on the stone railing, but they do not seem to hear me.

"Empress!" A weak voice beside me exclaims, and I whirl around.

"Who are you?" my hand goes to my belt, but I do not find the hilt of any weapon to assist me. Instead, I simply position myself defensively.

"I could ask you the same, why do you call the Empress by her name, you insolent fool?" the girl hoists herself up to a sitting position on the stone railing and huffs.

I inspect this strange girl. She seems not to be older than 20 years, and her behaviour is that of a woman who has not had proper education. To speak to a man in that tone? She has an unusual appearance. Not that I'm not used to it by now, after all I have been through. Her eyes are the color of dark skies, a deep blue I have only seen on cloudless nights, and her waist long hair, albeit wet and full of sand, shines an eerie silver. Her skin is also very pale, making her eyes stand out more.

Her clothes are also strange, but simple. She wears ankle-high boots, made of a material resembling leather, but I have never seen blue leather. A dark blue loincloth reaches down to her ankles, stitched with silver thread and open on the sides. The complicated drawings are of lines connecting different sized dots. Her whole body seems to be wrapped bandadge-like in white silk, covering her from her nose, down to her ankles. Even her arms are covered down to her wrists, where she wears dark blue gloves, the material similar to her boots, but much less sturdy. The rest of her clothing is similar to Kaileena's, but the brown parts in Kaileena's are dark blue in hers.

She winces and looks down at her thigh. An arrow is buried deep in her flesh, blood oozing slowly but steadily out the wound.

"I am the Prince of Persia, and I will not ask again. Who are you?"

She briefly rolls her eyes to the heavens and looks at me.

"My name is Aysun." She looks back down at her wound and breathes shakily in. In one fluid motion, she grabs the arrow and yanks it out.

"Ahh, stars..." Throwing it aside, she hisses loudly and presses her hands to the now profusely bleeding wound.

' _Foolish girl._ ' I think and turn away to start my search for Kaileena. Leaving the arrow, or pulling it out wouldn't have mattered, the wound would have infected anyway. Even if she could fight, it would slow her down and she would die, either from blood loss, infection or the guards.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? We have to find the Empress!" Her voice seems too near. I look to my right, but there is noone there.

"Down here."

She is a whole head shorter than me. I lower my sight and see her standing perfectly upright. I feel my eyes widen and look down at her leg.

Nothing. Not even the bandage-like silk is cut.

"What...How...You..." I stutter.

"Come, there's no time." She rolls through a hole in the door. I frown and follow her. As soon as I reach the other side of the door, I reach out for her shoulder, only to narrowly miss it when she runs up a wall. I quickly run after her, and before she can jump to the next ledge, I hold her back.

"Wait." I say and turn her around to face me. "Who are you? What happened to your wound? Why are you after Kaileena?"

"So many questions, Prince, and yet you have not told me anything of yourself." I cannot see the lower half of her face, but her eyes tell me she is smirking.

"By the gods, woman, if you anger me, I'll—"

"You'll what?" she put her fists on her hips and raises a silver eyebrow. "Look." She says as I fail to retort quickly. "Let's just say I owe a lot to Kaileena. If you don't trust me enough to team up on her rescue, we can separate ways now." She pulls her shoulder from my grasp and continues on her way, until she shimmies across a ledge and disappears from my sight.

I sigh, frustrated, and look around. Though the streets are destroyed, I still know every one of them like the back of my hand. Unfortunately, the way into the city is in the direction that Aysun went.

_The Prince made his way along the torn and blasted district, haunted by visions from his past. The dark side tavern where he'd spent many late nights was now reduced to cinders. Babylon's proud armada, which he was often come to greet, laid cracked and broken, cast to the bottom of the Euphrates._

* * *

"Everywhere there are signs of battle… but what of Babylon's guard? Where have they all gone?" I mumble to myself as I make my way through the city. After climbing a ladder, I see that woman with her back to the wall, next to a door. Inside, a guard is patrolling.

I smirk. Seems she can't fight after all. Even though I do not have a blade, I could easily knock the guard out. As I confidently walk up to her, I feel the corners of my mouth tugging upwards, in what Kaileena often refferred to as my 'cocky smirk'. My expression turns to confusion as I notice how her eyes are closed, and her chin moves quickly up and down, as if she's mumbling to herself, or praying. After a moment, dark blue swirls emerge from her upturned palms and form into two same-colored scimitars, one in each hand. One of them is pointed at me, right under my chin.

She seems to recognize me, and turns away. She strides openly up to the guard, who sees her and attacks. In two swift arcs, her blades come down on his flesh, and he dissolves into sand.

"Why is it that every time disaster strikes, I find myself without a proper blade?" I walk to a table and take a small dagger that is stabbed in the wood. "Still, it's better than nothing."

I hear her snort and twirl her scimitars playfully at me. I look back to my pathetic little dagger, then to her dark blue blades. They are finely detailed in silver lines connecting dots.

"You couldn't make me one of those, could you?" I ask sheepishly.

"You're right, I couldn't." She turns away and continues. I huff angrily and sheathe my dagger.

The more I follow her, the more irritated I become. She seems to know her way around the city as well as I do. When encountering different choices of paths, I start to tell her where to go, but she simply looks up briefly, nods, and goes on, even before I finished my instructions.

We finally reach a high wall separating one of the city's districts, and Aysun gasps.

"Empress..."

I run over to her and see guards take Kaileena inside the city.

"Kaileena!"

As the gate closes behind them and Kaileena is out of sight again, I pound my fist on the railing.

"No!"

Breathing heavily, I try to think straight. "No way into the city now…I will have to climb the siege tower and enter from above." I look to my left, where Aysun has her neck craned back and is looking at the sky.

"You shouldn't let your rage control you." She says, her voice a little lower than normal due to the extremely bent back position her neck is in. "Control you feelings and you shall have control over yourself." After a moment, she nods and walks off.

Wondering what that was about, I follow her to the edge of the platform and look down. I hear her say something in a foreign language. I turn to her and see her looking down at the far-away floor. She looks up to the heavens and frowns, as if blaming them.

' _Finally._ '

"Allow me." I walk past her, wallrun to a red curtain on the wall and slide down it with the aid of my dagger. Bending my knees on impact, I look up to Aysun and grin.

"Are you coming?"

She sighs irritably and follows me. I marvel at how she can move. Of course, Farah and Kaileena were great fighters, but Aysun is very graceful in her acrobatic skills, and—

"Look out!" I hear her shout, and immediately my vision is blurred by a dark blue cloth in my face. I instinctively hold out my arms and feel a weight fall on them.

The cloth falls from my face and I look down at my arms, holding a frowning Aysun. Apparently I was thinking too much and forgot to step from underneath the curtain. I put her down and we continue on our way.

I continue to wonder why she always looks up.

When we reach a ledge where we can see most of the city, Aysun turns to me.

"Prince?"

I turn to look at her so that she knows I'm listening.

"How do you feel?"

"What do you mean?" I frown in confusion.

"What are you thinking of right now?" She looks back up at the skies.

"Why should I tell you?" I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow.

"Sometimes, when our feelings are too strong, it helps to rely on someone to let them out. If you want, I can listen." She says in that strange voice. It bothers me that she constantly looks up instead of looking me in the eyes when talking to me. I sigh and shrug.

"I can sense the others that have passed through this place, intent on bringing harm to my family." I look over the remains of the town. "Four weeks I'd been at sea…and everyday spent dreaming of my return to Babylon…but never, in all my visions of the future, did I suspect a homecoming such as this…war…it is the only answer…but war with who?...And why?..."

She looks down and sighs.

"You may tell me your thoughts when you are bothered by them, Prince." She looks back at me. "Do not let them rule you."

Not understanding completely, I nod and thank her. We keep walking.

_You should know that it was not love that drove him, but duty. The Empress was his responsibility. He had made a promise, a promise that was now broken and undone. As with all mistakes he had made, the Prince meant to fix this. A noble goal to be certain, but a selfish one as well; for he was motivated to ease his own pain._

* * *

"I know these streets!" I say as I look around. "Knew them, anyway. We must keep pace with Kaileena if we are to find the one responsible for this."

Aysun nods and increases her pace. We pass a broken down stand, with fruits and flowers trampled on the ground.

"Where is kind Asha, who would stand before her stall, selling foods and flowers? Or the errant children, making trouble as all young ones do? Gone…All gone…" I shake my head at the scene.

"They are well now." Aysun tells me in that low tone. I do not turn around. By the sound of her voice, she is once more looking up. Then I understand what she said. I turn and see her, indeed craning her neck back.

"How do you know that?" I ask.

She looks back down and blinks.

"We must hurry." She says and continues walking. I throw my hands up and groan. I look back to her when I hear her say something in a strange language. The same one from before. It seems she is cursing. I look at the next obstacle and grin. A chute. Below are more guards. Tired of having her walk ahead of me and kill all the guards herself, I jump forward and brace myself on the chute's walls. Winking at her frown, I slide down and clear the way of guards.

"All clear!" I call up. She hesitates a moment, then jumps forward. Sliding down, she lets go near the ground and falls clumsily. I offer her my hand with a grin. She looks at it for a moment, then slowly takes it. Hoisting her up, we continue in a hastened pace.

We reach a ledge where the palace balcony can be seen.

"Home…and yet, nothing is as I remember. Objects once familiar and comforting now fill me with uncertainty and dread. What has happened here?"

Aysun looks at me. With only her eyes and forehead to see, her expression is hard to read. Her big dark eyes look at me with uncertainty.

"I should be resting now, recovering from my time away, or sitting with father…" I explain. "But instead I am forced to run and hide; sneaking around like a common thief; hunted in my own city."

She nods and wallruns until she is in front of the palace balcony, then jumps on it, killing the guard there. I follow her.

We silently make our way through the palace. I want to ask more of Aysun, but silence is crucial, since there are so many guards. Though we must not talk, we have agreed on some sign language. She, being the smaller of us both, looks around a corner and holds up her fingers for me to know how many enemies there are ahead of us. If her palm is facing me, I know the number she holds up are archers. If the back of her hand faces me, I know they are sword wielding guards.

We finally reach the throne room, and I notice how she looks around. Maybe she is impressed? We continue on our way to the throne and look around. She nudges me and points to a doorway, where voices can be heard.

_Pay attention to what the Prince overheard as he drew close to where the Empress was being kept._

I walk forward to enter, but she holds my wrist and points to her ear. We crouch next to the door and listen.

"Many years ago, I journeyed with the Maharajah of India to the Island of Time, intending to claim its secrets. What we discovered was a barren, ruined place; its halls deserted, and its guardians gone to sand. Strange tales adorned its walls, which spoke of an Empress. An Empress of Time! But, of this enigmatic creature there was no trace. We returned to India with treasures nonetheless: a staff, a dagger, an empty hourglass covered in jewels, and books! Such secrets they contained, for even then I was an older man and knew that my time would soon be at an end."

We looked at each other.

"The books showed me that life eternal was not beyond my reach, but it required the essence of the Empress herself, the power of the Sands. But, you were gone, they were gone. I turned my attention towards…other pursuits, and left that dream behind. But then, four weeks ago, the Dagger stirred! And showed me things; whispered to me in my sleep. It drew me here, towards Babylon. Alas, the Maharajah did not share my vision, would not grant me leave. So I slew him and claimed his kingdom, his army for my own. Nothing would stand between me and my desires!"

I was filled with rage as I recognized whose voice this was. Aysun was holding my wrist when I realized I had unsheathed my little dagger. She put her face next to mine and whispered something about control and feelings in my ear, but I would not listen.

_Recklessly the Prince drew his weapon and charged forward intending to rescue the Empress. It was as if he had learned nothing from his past adventures. Or perhaps he'd simply forgotten, made blind and deaf by fear and rage…This is how it happened. This is how Kaileena died…_

I charge toward the guards and see Kaileena being held hostage by a man.

"No!"

"Prince, look out!" Aysun tackles me to my right , but the daggertail that was aiming for my head catches my left arm instead.

"What have we here?" the wielder of the daggertail says and pulls it to make it cut deeper into my arm. I look forward to see Kaileena tied. Somebody is facing her, but turns to look at me. I recognize him now…

"The Vizier?"

"Ah! You must be the Prince of Persia, come home at last. Too late I'm afraid." He says and turns to Kaileena "I believe I have something of yours…"

He takes out the Dagger of time, and stabs Kaileena.

"No! Kaileena!"

"Empress!"

I try to stand, but the person with the daggertail pulls it again and I fall on Aysun, preventing us both to aid Kaileena.

Kaileena starts glowing and her body becomes the Sands of Time. Everyone on the area is engulfed and transformed by the Sands. I pull at the Daggertail, but not before it becomes engulfed by the Sands itself. It breaks, but it is still chained to my arm. It stings, as if it were infected. It glows and golden-red lines form strange markings around my forearm.

"A promise of power, fulfilled! I will be immortal!" the Vizier says and stabs himself with the glowing Dagger and transforms, throwing the Dagger aside. I run to grab it, but the ground below collapses. I fall in the pit, vaguely aware of Aysun falling next to me. I grab the Dagger in midair and stab it on the wall, slowing my decent. Reaching a hand out for Aysun, I feel her grab on and slide down with me. We land on a balcony.

"Father, forgive what I have done…wherever you are." I say, looking at the Dagger.

"Let's go, Prince!" Aysun picks herself up from the floor and sprints away through the crumbling palace.

"The palace is falling! Run for your life!" A guard starts running, but is squished by a piece of ceiling that fell. Aysun swears in that strange language and runs faster.

I cannot keep track of time , but keep thinking that, once more, the wheels of suffering are set in motion by my hand…In taking Kaileena from the Island of Time, I have changed the course of History! Without the Sands of Time, I never journeyed to Azad, never killed the Vizier…Now, he lives again, driven by the same mad desire…I promised no harm would come to her…

Aysun notices me lagging behind because of my thoughts and snaps her fingers in my face.

"Pay attention, you can mope later." She says, but I see sadness in her eyes. She also mourns Kaileena. What is their connection? I'm being pushed deeper into the palace, and further from my enemy…

We finally reach a safe place. Well, safe being enemy, trap and crumble-free.

Aysun lets herself slide down a wall and sits on the floor, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. I start panting to calm down, and feel the heat from my body. Angrily, I rip my tunic off and toss it into a nearby pit. I smugly notice Aysun eying me.

Now that we have stopped running I can feel my arm throb.

"My arm!" I grab it as the pain increases "What's happening? What has the Vizier done to me?"

Aysun jumps up. She is immediately next to me.

"Prince! What is it?"

"I don't—Ahh...!" I stumble back into a pit, and reach out for her hand. I am heavier than she, so I only succeed in pulling her down with me.

_Everything had come full circle. The Prince had resurrected his greatest enemy. Worse, he had accidentally delivered Kaileena into the man's hands, unleashing a nightmare plague across Babylon. As if this was not enough, the Prince had nearly been transformed by the Sands himself. Though he had avoided death, he had not escaped entirely untouched…_


	3. Chapter 3

' _ **Wake up, Prince. Wake up. Wake up!**_ '

Aysun has that weird voice again. Why must she always look up? I shake my head and look around. It looks like we fell in the sewers. Next to me, Aysun is passed out.

But…wasn't she just talking?

' _ **The way behind you is gone, so you'll have to find another exit from these sewers. Be quick about it, start moving.**_ '

"Wha-What? Who's there?" I look around, but no one else can be seen. I crawl over to Aysun and shake her shoulder. She mumbles something in that strange language.

"Aysun. We need to go." I shake her and look around for enemies. It seems we are indeed alone, but that voice…

"Go away, Prince…" she feebly pushes me away and sits up, holding her head.

"Aysun, we have to move on" I say, looking wearily around one more as the voice chuckles.

She looks at me, then at my arm.

"Can you heal it?" I ask, remembering of when we first met.

She looks at it for a moment, and shakes her head.

"I can try, but I doubt it." I look incredulously at her. "It is too deep into the bone, and looks more than just a normal wound." She traces her finger along the gold red lines. "But first I need to pull it out." She looks at me. I take a deep breath and nod bravely. Carefully, she takes one of the blades and looks back at me. "Quick or slow?"

"Q-quick…" I say shakily.

She doesn't let me finish the word and yanks the small blade out.

Or at least tries to.

A force field, made of black smoke and gold red lines, just like the ones on my arm, appears and throws us in different directions, both of us hitting opposite walls and slumping to the floor.

I curl myself around my arm and hiss loudly a string of profanities. After I recover somewhat, I look up to see her holding herself up on the wall, her knees weak.

"What was that?" she asks shakily.

"I don't know." I watch as she comes nearer and falls sitting next to me. She takes my arm again. "You're not going to try again, are you?" I ask.

"No." she shakes her head and I sigh, relieved. "I can try to heal it around the iron, so that it doesn't infect." She says, inspecting my arm. I nod and brace myself. She closes her eyes and hovers her hands over my arm. Dark blue swirls with twinkling silver dots appear around my arm. Slowly, the silver dots descend and touch my wound. I feel them cool against my skin, and sigh contently. The smoke dissipates and I inspect the rest of my arm. As promised, the daggertail is embedded in my skin, as if it were a part of my arm I was born with. It doesn't sting anymore. The gold red lines are now dotted with silver and the tips of my fingers are a dark hue of blue.

"Thank you." I say. Then I hear the voice chuckle again. I look around again, and stand up, pulling her with me. "Let's go."

"Are you afraid of the dark, Prince?" her voice is full of sarcasm.

"It's what's  _in_  the dark that bothers me." I pull her up by her arms and we go the only possible way.

' _ **Be careful, the planks are slick. Mind your balance.**_ '

"Do you mind not craning your neck back when you talk? The way your voice changes is direful." I huff.

"I didn't say anything." She says and leaps after me. I frown and continue. There is a chute ahead of us. I lower myself first and test the slippery walls. Looking up at Aysun to warn her, I hear it again.

' _ **Good, good, now, head down.**_ '

I know it isn't her, because even if her mouth is covered, her chin didn't move, and she hasn't bent her neck back to change her voice.

"Is everything okay, Prince?" she holds my wrist tightly as if afraid I might slip. I nod and continue.

Further along, we encounter some Sand monsters. One of them steps into the circle of light I am standing in.

' _ **Oh! They do not seem to like the light.**_ '

"Prince!" I look over at Aysun. "They don't like the light!" she yells and kills one of them.

I have no chance of being dumbfounded, there are more coming.

' _ **Lead them into the light! Strike while they are blind!**_ '

I, though confused, finish off the last of them and look over to Aysun.

"Did you hear that?" I pant.

"Hear what?" she says. It seems she is not out of breath. I shake my head and support myself with my hands on my knees.

After a moment I feel her hand on my shoulder.

"You need to learn to breathe properly." She says. I look up to her and grin.

"Yeah? I didn't know there was a correct way of  _breathing_." I drily retort. She removes her hand from my shoulder and steps back. I huff angrily.

"I'm sorry." I say. "It's just…all of this is…"

"I understand." She says. "Let me help?"

I nod and watch as she puts a hand on my upper stomach. She looks at me.

"Pay attention." She pushes me, but I keep my footing. In doing so, most of the air in my lungs leaves. I frown confused at her. She keeps on pushing and letting go, forcefully controlling my breathing.

"This muscle I am pushing is called the diaphragm. The diaphragm functions in breathing. During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts, thus enlarging the thoracic cavity. The external intercostal muscles also participate in this enlargement." She released me and ran her finger over my ribs. "This reduces intra-thoracic pressure: In other words, enlarging the cavity creates suction that draws air into the lungs. When the diaphragm relaxes," she pushed again. "air is exhaled by elastic recoil of the lung and the tissues lining the thoracic cavity in conjunction with the abdominal muscles, which act as an antagonist paired with the diaphragm's contraction." She let go of me and took my hand. I try to suppress a grin when she puts my palm on her own dia…something. She lays my other hand on my own.

"Try to breathe as I do." I feel her muscles contract and relax and will my own to move the same way. Soon, I'm calm and feel like I'm rested.

"Thank you." I say and pull my hand back. She nods and we continue. I concentrate on breathing like she taught me and realize I tire less. I look at her and see it in her eyes that she is grinning knowingly. I cannot help but smile back.

"Why do you cover your face?" I frown and reach out to lower her bandages from her nose. She steps back, but doesn't stop smiling.

"Why don't you tell me your name? Not having a name is the same to not having a face."

"Fair enough." I say and continue.

We come across a fountain, and upon inspecting it, I say that the water is fresh and not from the sewers. I drink and look expectantly at her. She merely smirks and bends over the fountain, throwing her hair over her face. Her hand disappears behind the silver curtain and I hear her drink. Clever girl.

Suddenly, my arm starts throbbing again, as if it is burning. I yell out and fall to my knees.

"Prince!" Aysun comes and puts her arms around my shoulders, but is once again thrown back by the force field from before. Black smoke rises from my arm and engulfs me. I feel myself change while my body seems to be burning in flames.

" **What have I become? A sand monster?** " I look down at myself. My voice is strange too.

"Ugh…" I whip around to see Aysun sprawled on the ground, small silver dots dancing around her head.

" **Aysun! Aysun! Are you alright?** " I kneel down next to her. Strangely I feel weaker. I try to breathe like she taught me, but I must have been doing it wrong, since I still feel my strength leak.

"Don't ever throw me again…" Aysun sits up and puts a hand to her forehead. She tries to stand, but falls over a pot. Sand flies up. I watch the golden cloud fly towards me and be absorbed by my body. Immediately I feel stronger.

" **Sand…** " I marvel and break another pot. " **It strengthens me!** "

Aysun eyes me warily.

" **It's me, Aysun. I must have transformed.** "

She stands up shakily and ponders on what to do. She kicks another pot and watches the sand float to my chest and be absorbed. She looks up and nods after a moment.

"We need to keep going and find some water."

My puzzled look is enough for my question.

"It seems you were infected by the Sands. If we find water we might be able to turn you back."

I nod and we continue. We encounter more sand monsters, but try to avoid them. Am I really one of them?

' _ **Call it what you will, but you have been given the ability to destroy your enemies. Use it!**_ '

I look at Aysun ahead of me and realize that the voice I have been hearing is only inside my head.

' _What good is this? Even as I fight them, I grow weaker!_ ' I think back, hoping to converse with the voice.

' _ **Kill them, then. Let their life replenish yours.**_ '

As if also hearing this, Aysun weakens them, leaving me to deal the final blow. I am thankful for that, since the sand from the creatures' bodies strengthens me further.

' _ **Feels good, does it not?**_ '

I notice Aysun only look at me questioningly and continue her strategy of weakening while I finish them off. Finally, all the monsters are gone, only their weapons lie around.

' _ **Ah, I knew you had it in you.**_ '

' _I assume this is not permanent._ '

' _ **It is…if you want it to be.**_ '

' _I do not._ '

' _ **But you will.**_ '

Aysun whirls around, an annoyed look in her eyes.

" **What?** " I ask. She just shakes her head and continues inspecting the room. I hear another chuckle from the voice.

' _Why, then, is this happening to me?_ '

' _ **Your little friend is right. You have been infected by the Sands of Time. Maybe it's the Dagger, maybe it's all the time you spent amongst the Sands, or…amongst the Empress…Either way, you are resisting it…mostly.**_ '

' _Mostly?_ '

' _ **You did just change into something rather…unique, so I think the word is quite appropriate. Think of it this way: you have been given a gift - you are now stronger, faster—**_ '

' _Uglier_ **.** '

' _ **Now, now.**_ '

I hear Aysun snort, but quickly regain herself. Upon my questioning glance, she shakes her head.

"Must be the dust…" she turns around and points to a strange contraption on the wall. "Do you think you can activate that with your daggertail?"

I do so and smile at her. She merely turns and walks away. I sigh, confused, but follow, breaking pots for sand along the way.

" **It seems the only way to go on is to swing on that pole up there, but I see no ropes…** " I look up at said pole. Then, an idea hits me. I look down at my daggertail, then to the pole again. Grinning, I look back at Aysun.

"No." she steps back. " _Noo…_ " I take a step towards her, grinning. "Prince, get away, I'm not swinging over  _that_." She motions to the pit below us.

Just as she looks away to said pit, I use that moment of distraction to grab her around the waist and jump. She whimpers and hides her face in my chest, holding on to my neck with her arms. Just as we start to fall, I unleash the daggertail and hit the pole with it. Touching down on the other side, I pull it back and look down at the top of her head. I chuckle and sigh at her foolish fear of heights. She can jump over gaps and wallrun, but when the ground is too far away, or the gap too large, she jus—

I breathe in again and close my eyes. Her hair smells like night-blooming cestrums.

"Prince!" I snap my eyes open and encounter her dark eyes. I notice there are the smallest silver sparkles in the deep blues. Like the night sky.

"PRINCE!" I shake my head and focus on what she is saying. "You can let go of me now."

I do so and step back. We continue on our journey.

' _That explains the transformation, but who are you?_ ' I keep on searching for answers.

' _ **Have you not realized? I am your untapped potential, your unrealized dreams. I am a part of you.**_ '

' _You're inside me?_ ' I frown.

Once we drop from a chute, we land in water. Immediately the pain is back, only instead of feeling abnormally hot, the feeling is of freezing cold.

I fall to my knees and gasp.

"Prince!" Aysun runs up to me, but doesn't touch me, in fear of being blown back again.

' _It's gone now. Water seems to fight this corruption. Why did you hide this from me?_ '

' _ **What? And ruin all the fun?**_ '

She huffs in frustration. I look up at her.

"It's fine now." I reach out to her. She cautiously touches the tips of her fingers to mine, squinting her eyes as if to brace for a blow, but it doesn't come. She sighs in relief and grasps my wrist to pull me up. We both notice that the marks on my forearm now reach to my shoulder.

_When the Prince was struck by the Sands of Time, something was woken within. Something strange and cunning, something dark…The seven years spent on the run had embedded the Prince and made him hard. This burden sustained his other half, gave it strength. The Prince was tempted to do as it said, for it was a lightened darkness, offering comfort and guidance to a man who had just lost everything. But what were its intentions? Why did it help him? Only time would tell…_


	4. Chapter 4

We continue on our way until a corridor springs to life, full of traps.

"Oh, for the love of— Aysun?" I look around for her. Her head pops out from behind a dark curtain.

"I think I've found something, Prince!" she disappears again. I hastily follow her.

"What is it?" I ask, jumping after her, but she doesn't answer.

After a moment, we arrive at a fountain, but a different one from the last ones we have encountered. I step towards it and drink.

In a flash of light, I am at yet another corridor full of traps. I look behind me. Nothing. An empty wall.

"Aysun?" I call out. No one answers. I move forward, avoiding the traps, until, at the end of the corridor, another light engulfs me and I am back next to Aysun, the fountain from which I drank now broken.

"Prince, are you alright?" She kneels next to me.

Kneels?

I realize I am on the floor, and a pounding headache makes itself known.

"I'm fine." I say and let her support my back as I sit up. "My head…" I raise my hand to it. When I feel something wet on it, I look at my hand and see blood.

"You hit your head on the fountain when you passed out. I tasted the water, it's not poisoned. Quite the contrary, it strengthened me quite a lot." She said, eying me carefully.

I realize, that aside from the headache, I too feel strengthened. I watch her put her hand on my forehead and whisper something in that strange language of hers. I feel the wound close and that soft cooling touch linger on my skin.

"Thank you." I touch my forehead and feel a small scar. "What is that language that you speak?"

She looks at me.

"Let's keep going." She tries to stand, but I hold her down.

"If I am to travel with you, I think I should know more about you."

"I think the same, Price, but I realize you like keeping secrets, so I have not asked anything of you. At the beginning of our journey I suggested that if you are bothered by this that we should separate ways. Now you—"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" I stand up. "Gods, woman…" I go back to the trap infested hallway, hearing her footsteps echoing behind me.

' _ **Quite the feisty one, is she not?**_ '

I stumble and almost fall off a banister I was balancing on. I wave Aysun's helping hand away and continue.

' _Don't startle me._ ' I answer the voice.

' _ **My apologies. But you must admit, her behavior is most appealing…**_ ' the voice hums as if agreeing to its own statement.

I ignore the voice and continue until we are outside. I take a deep breath and look to my side where Aysun has her eyes on the heavens once more.

"Why do you always—" she looks sharply at me. "Never mind." I sigh and climb a ladder. We are much farther away than I thought.

"Babylon, it's so far away. As a child, Father would tell me stories abou—"

' _ **Pay attention! Something's happening down there.**_ ' The voice interrupts me. I frown and look down, noticing Aysun also following my lead.

There is a sand gate on the floor below. The chief guard puts his sword on the center and something comes through it.

"Is that...? It's the Vizier! He's been completely transformed!" I watch the strange golden wing-like…things…flap around the Vizier's deformed body.

' _ **Interesting…he's used the power of the sands to transform his army…and his artifacts will allow him to transport them across the city with ease. He appears to be in complete control. Things do not look too good for you at the moment.**_ '

We watch as the Vizier vanishes through the Sand Gate.

"I will not let the Vizier have Babylon! My city! My throne!" I pound my fist on the railing before me. "He has used that beam as a gate. We will follow him through it."

Aysun nods and follows me down a chute. While she takes on the skinnier looking guard, I kill the faintly glowing one.

' _ **Wonderful. Do we not have enough to deal with already?**_ '

I ignore him and stab my dagger into the sand portal.

"I wonder how many more there are…" I say absent mindedly.

"There are nine in total." Aysun says, looking up at the darkening sky.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Alright. I'll answer you some questions if you answer some of mine." I say, looking irritably at her.

"I'm afraid we do not have the time." She says coldly and starts walking away.

"Oh, I think we have enough time. We'll be resting here for the night." I hold her arm. "I don't want to risk overseeing an enemy in the dark."

She sighs and looks up, as if blaming the skies.

"That's the first thing I want to ask. Why do you constantly look up?"

"Now wait just a moment." She turns to me. "Let's get these bodies out of the way, hmm?"

I help her throw the bodies down the pit and look around. There are some run-down cabinets in the corner of the ledge. I inspect them and gladly find out they are filled with food and blankets.

"Probably for the night guards, when they were human." Aysun was looking over my shoulder.

"I'm afraid we're not going to be able to start a fire, so it's just bread and cheese for us…" I say, looking longingly at the salted meat.

We stretched out all the blankets in two makeshift beds, except for two to cover ourselves with. Sitting down and using my dagger to cut pieces of the bread and cheese, I nod to the spot beside me. Aysun sits on her own bed, facing me, instead of the spot I offered next to me.

"Well, then. About the sky-gazing…" I hand her a piece of bread with another piece of cheese on it. I chew on my own meal as she tilts her head back and looks up. The first stars can already be seen.

"Have you ever heard of the Turkish Legend?" she asks.

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken you have the same name as the girl that was sent to earth. What about it?" I cut another piece of bread and cheese for me. Gods, only now I realized I was so hungry. I look up at her lack of answer. She's staring at me.

"Well?" I refer to my previous question. "What of the Turkish Legend?"

She keeps looking at me, as if waiting for me to answer myself.

"…"

"…"

I slowly stop chewing. She raises an eyebrow at me.

"Are you telling me…that you…" I point upwards to the now almost completely dark skies.

She nods.

"I don't believe you." I narrow my eyes accusingly at her.

"Would you have believed in an Empress of Time ten years ago?" she retorts.

' _ **She has a point…**_ '

' _Shut up._ '

"Well," I start. "I…I really don't know what to say…"

"That's fine." She looks at her untouched food. Ignoring it, she lies down and gazes at the now visible stars.

"Why do you look up so much?" I ask, taking her food for myself.

"I look at the stars…"

"But…" I turn my bed diagonally so that our heads are closer. Lying down, I search for my next words. "There are no stars during daylight."

"That's what you think." She says. "Only because you cannot see something, doesn't mean it's not there, just as much as seeing something does not mean it really is there."

' _ **Like her face.**_ '

' _Oh, give it a rest, will you?_ '

"Yes, like my face." She chuckles. I raise myself on my elbows and look at her.

"You hear him? Since when?"

"Since you started hearing him." She says simply. "I was hoping you wouldn't, but…"

"Is that why you were telling me to control my anger? Is that what he is?"

She pauses.

"He is complicated. I can't see what exactly he is, but you must be careful."

"How do you know all this?" I lay back down.

"The stars tell me many things…"

We lay for a while in silence.

"Can you teach me?" I ask. "To read the stars?"

"There is no such thing as reading the stars." She says. "All those alchemists, and seers, and whatnot, they are all just frauds. Guessers. You have to listen to them. You have to will them to talk to you. All stars wish to help humanity, that is why they make themselves visible." She turned her head to look at me. "Do you understand what I say?"

"I…think so…" I focus on one star "So I just have to concentrate on the little dot?"

She didn't answer. I crane my neck back to look at her. She's supporting herself on her elbow, turning to look at me.

"What?" She has a really annoyed look on her face.

' _ **You're pathetic.**_ '

"Stars are more than only little dots." She says, hurt in her voice. "If you were so far up, all humans would also look like little dots to you. They're individual beings. That is why this world is falling apart."

"This world?"

"There are thousands of other worlds out there."

"I…don't understand." I heard the voice sigh exasperated.

"Well, what do  _you_  suggest?" I yell. Aysun jumps a little at my outburst. "Oh…no, I didn't…I was…" she fell back, laughing.

"I know Prince, I know." She wiped her eyes. "Look." She scooted her head closer to mine and pointed. I followed her finger to the biggest and brightest star. "That is Ender Elmas. He is—"

' _ **The leader of the Yldiz, yes, yes, we kno—**_ '

"Then maybe you want to continue the lesson?" Aysun snapped.

' _ **…**_ '

"I thought so." She continued as I chuckled. "Anyway, Prince, open your mind. Let Ender Elmas speak to you. Call out to him…Invite him…"

I focused on the star. I seemed as if an hour had gone by, but I didn't feel any different.

' _ **This is stupid.**_ '

' _I understand when Aysun says that you are obnoxious._ '

' _ **Whoa! Hey, who are you, old man?**_ '

' _Manners…_ ' Aysun's voice echoed inside my head.

' _What are you doing in my head?_ ' I startle and look at her. Her eyes are closed and she seems sleeping.

' _When you looked into her eyes, you have established a connection between your souls._ '

' _The eyes are the window to the soul…_ ' I recited a phase my father always used to say.

' _ **Or so they say.**_ '

' _So you are intelligent!_ ' the voice of the old man ignored my other part's comment. ' _I was under the impression our beloved Aysun was traveling with just another stupid human…_ '

' _Don't be like that…_ ' Aysun said (thought?) sleepily.

' _I shall leave you now. Prince, Aysun has given us her opinion of your cause and behavior. You have the protection of the Yldiz._ '

' _G'night…_ ' Aysun was sounding more and more tired.

' _Sleep well, child._ ' The presence of the old man was fading. Instead, I started feeling as if hundreds of thousands others were pressing down on me.

' _Rest assured that we watch over you, until our child deems it unworthy…_ ' there were so many voices, and yet only one, their words were like the most subtle breath against my conscience. ' _We are the Yldiz. Protect our child and you will be rewarded…_ ' suddenly, all those presences lifted from me, and I noisily gasped. Aysun shot up and grabbed her swords.

"What? What happened?" she was looking around frantically.

' _ **What's wrong with you?**_ '

"You just…made that weird noise…and I thought…" I was looked concerned at her. "I thought something was happening…" she relaxed and lay back down.

"Didn't you just hear that?" I pointed upwards. Immediately I felt those presences again, shushing me.

' _ **I think you should shut up…**_ '

"Shut up about what?" she frowned at me.

' _ **Oh, that's right, she can hear me now!**_ ' he said in mock concern.

"I…um…I…they…" the voices were shushing me.

"They told you to not let me die, right?" she crossed her arms and glared at me.

"S-sort of…"

She huffed and threw herself back down on the blankets.

I waited for her to say something, but she just closed her eyes and laid still. I covered myself against the chilly night and sighed, letting the twinkling of the sta—the Yldiz—lull me to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning we woke just before dawn. Aysun was facing the rising sun.

' _ **What are you waiting for, woman? Let's go!**_ '

"I hate to agree with him, but…" I pointed towards the way we should go.

"Just a moment…" she turned back to me and the corners of her eyes crinkled. She was grinning. "I want you to meet my cousin."

"Your cousin?"

' _ **You're a child of the skies, woman, how can you have a cousin? Don't tell me you have a family too?**_ '

"No, stupid, I hatched from an egg." She retorted. I hesitated. She noticed and threw her arms up. "Of course I have a family." She turned back to the first rays of sunlight. "GOOD MORNING, ALTAN!"

' _ **Woman, are you crazy? Keep your voice down!**_ '

' _Always the loud one, Aysun. The more I am forced to watch you I—_ '

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She interrupted, waving her hand dismissively at the…sun? "Listen, I need you to tell me how far we are to the Vizier."

' _Very far. You should hurry. I shall warn you a day ahead._ '

"Okay, let's go!" she said cheerfully.

"The  _sun_  is your cousin?" I followed her.

"Of course not. He's what you humans call 'dawn'."

' _ **That makes so much sense.**_ '

I shook my head and we continued on our way.

We covered quite some ground. I was wondering when we would encounter a stronger enemy, when the burning feeling started. Aysun stepped back to let me transform.

" **That was not pleasant.** " I say as I stand up. Aysun walks over to me and touches one of the gold red markings on my arm.

"I wonder…I can touch you now, but not when you're transforming…" she looks up for advice. So do I.

" **There are stars! In broad daylight!** " I marvel out loud.

' _Yes, Prince. Now that you know of our existence, you are able to interact with us and see us._ ' The voice of Ender Elmas chuckled in my mind.

' _Uncle, do you know something?_ ' Aysun asked.

' _I know many things, child. And you shall know them too…in time._ ' His presence faded.

Aysun huffed and we continued. By midday, she was so nervous, I was afraid she might lash at me. My counterpart's comments weren't helping either.

' _ **I think I prefer her yelling at the sun…**_ '

Aysun whirled around.

"One more word…and I throw you in a river." She hissed. That shut him up…for the next ten minutes.

' _ **You know, I think we should sing.**_ '

"I warned you…" she put her hand on my shoulder and pushed. I fell backwards on a puddle of water. It took me a while to transform back and when I did, I grinned at Aysun. She grinned back and pointed to a fountain. We drank and looked around.

"That chariot will get us home." I pointed.

"Maybe to your home, Prince." Aysun said. The comment was cold, but the corners of her eyes were crinkled in a grin. We climbed on it.

' _ **Are you sure you can control this thing?**_ '

' _Let us hope. If I crash, it is the end for all of us._ '

"The Prince! Stop him!"

"Oh, great. Guards." Aysun readied her swords as I steered the horses away.

_And so, once more, the Prince began his journey home; his mind on fire with visions of the justice he would visit upon the Vizier._

' _ **Be vigilant.**_ '

"Be useful and shut up!" Aysun slashed another Guard off the chariot.

"There he is!"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Aysun yelled back.

"What's a Sherlock?" I yelled over my shoulder.

"A fictional character from another world!" she answered over the wind.

' _ **Pay attention! Turn right!**_ ' I did. After a moment…

' _ **Head left!**_ '

' _ **You have done well Prince. Though I'm sure it was not intentional.**_ ' He said as we reached the end of the street.

"Oh, stuff it, you bodyless poltergeist!" Aysun panted.

"We made it!" I ignored their bickering and looked back at Aysun.

' _ **Hold your horses!**_ '

"Prince!"

The chariot crashes and we are thrown into the air. I manage to land on one horse and stretch my hand blindly for Aysun. I feel her use it as a lever to hoist herself behind me, back to back, so that she can slash the remaining guards. I look ahead of us. The street gate is closing

"Ahh! Come on, come on!" I beg.

We manage to reach the other side of the gate just before it closes.

_The once bright and vibrant streets of Babylon now stood all but deserted. Its inhabitants either dead or fled. Those left behind suffered terribly: captured, tortured and transformed. But the Prince did not notice this, so focused was he on the Vizier._

' _ **I'm impressed.**_ '

"Oh good. Your opinion means a great deal to me." I say as I pick myself up from the floor.

' _ **Is that how you thank the man who just saved your life?**_ '

"First, you did not save my life. I did. Second, you are not a man, just a disembodied voice, a ghost. And third, I did not ask for your help, and I certainly do not need it."

' _ **While I admire your bravado, you would be wise to show some respect.**_ '

"And you would be wise to keep quiet! You're distracting me and we are no longer alone."

"Shut up, both of you." Aysun hissed. We looked over a group of guards.

"Go. Put him with the others." One was saying

"Why are you doing this? We have done nothing wrong!" the citizen was on the ground.

"Save your crying for someone who cares." The guard dragged him away.

"I should do something!" I looked at Aysun for support.

' _ **Go ahead! Fall to your death! That will be of great use to them!**_ '

"Though I hate to say it…he is right." She muttered.

"Why do I always get stuck with guard duty...Waste of my time..." the guard was mumbling to himself.

"Father! Father!" a child was calling after the man.

"Quiet, whelp! Do you wish to join him in the arena?" the guard kicked the child aside.

"Don-Don't take me there! Anywhere but that place!"

"Something is happening down there…" I wondered what it could be.

' _ **Whatever it is, it will continue until you have defeated the Vizier. You cannot help these people!**_ '

"I disagree. Maybe we should see what is in the arena." Aysun frowned at my dark counterpart's words.

"Then let us make haste." I stand up.

We all but run along the way, until I see the telltale beam of another Sand Portal. We control our breathing for a moment, then quickly stealth kill the guards. I plunge my dagger into the Portal, then yank it out.

"Two down, seven to go…" Aysun sighs.

"What's wrong?"

"This is taking far too long…" she looks up. "We should hurry. I'm worried about what the Vizier will do if he has more time."

I nod and we continue.

"Not again…" I groan and fall to my knees as I painfully transform.

"Prince?" Aysun's voice seems far away. I see her standing at the other side of the room.

" **What is it?** " Her face is paler than usual. She points at something behind me. I turn and see strange creatures approaching us. They look like dogs, but sand infected.

' _ **Careful! These creatures seem to feed of the Sands! Kill them before they steal any more from you!**_ '

I attack immediately, calling for Aysun to help.

' _ **What's wrong with you, woman? Fight! Move your legs!**_ ' the voice says. Aysun shakes herself and pulls her swords from midair, but doesn't come closer.

I finish the last one off and look questioningly at her.

' _ **What's gotten into you, woman? Why didn't you attack when I told you to?**_ ' the voice asked angered.

"I have a name." Aysun mumbled, looking down.

" **Are you alright?** " I put a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, still not looking at me. I frown and look up.

' _Our child is afraid of dogs._ ' The many voices of the Yldiz told me. I looked back at her.

" **I'll handle them.** " I smiled at her. She nodded and mumbles a 'thank you'. " **Look, there's a fountain.** " I pointed to another ledge a bit farther away. We quickly made our way there, me having transformed a few steps before reaching it.

"I hate transforming." I mumbled as I hoisted myself up and drank from the fountain.

' _ **Onward and upward Prince! Quickly, you must regain your throne!**_ '

"I'm moving as fast as I can. What do you suggest? That I grow wings and fly?"

' _ **One can always dream.**_ '

"Shut up, voice." Aysun helped me stand straight.

' _ **I don't appreciate you calling me 'voice' all the time, woman.**_ '

"Okay." She said as she turned her back to me to lower her mask and drink. "You call me by my name and I'll call you Howard, how's that sound?" she straightened up and fixed her mask before turning to me.

' _ **Howard? What kind of a stupid name is that?**_ '

"Howie for short." She winked at me.

We chose to continue on the rooftops, perhaps avoiding some guards would get us to move faster.

"Babylon's defenders still live. The city is not yet taken. Perhaps father is among them!" I notice.

As we continue along the rooftops, an arrow appears out of nowhere and kills a Sand Monster that was just about to attack us.

"What is this? Someone helping us? Who's there? You have done me a great service! Show yourself, that I might thank you!" I call out. Aysun looks around.

No one answers.

"So very strange. I wonder…no, it is silly to think such things."

"What?" Aysun asks.

"Nothing. Let us move on." I keep walking.

"No more rooftops…" We look over the last ledge together.

' _ **Indeed. Irritating little detour. Let us be on with it. Head down to street level and we will find a way to regain the rooftops!**_ '

"You are an insistent inner voice, aren't you?" I frown as I follow Aysun down.

"'Irritating' is the correct word…" she plops down on the floor and looks around.

' _ **Well, someone has to make the decisions!...**_ '

"I don't like the looks of this." I say as we approach the arena.

"Wait." Aysun holds my wrist. She leads it to another door next to the one leading to the arena. "Try this one."

It turned out to be another magic fountain. I once again found myself alone, and avoiding traps. After reaching the end of the obstacle, I open my eyes to see Aysun kneeling over me again.

"You have to stop hitting your head!" she says. "Why do you always pass out?"

I explained the trap-infested hallway, and the light at the end.

"So it's like a test to see if you really deserve the healing powers of the water?" she asks.

"I suppose…"

We finally enter the arena and see a giant without it's lower jaw, sharpening its sword.

"This…thing was once a man. He was there, when Kaileena died."

Aysun nodded. We jumped to opposite sides as the thing slashed at us with its sword.

' _ **Go for the eyes Prince! He cannot kill you if he cannot see you.**_ '

Aysun distracted it as I climbed on a ledge. Jumping on its back, I started climbing upwards, trying to ignore the putrid smell. The giant, however, noticed me and grabbed me off its back.

' _ **Ooh! I think he wants a kiss!**_ '

I had no time to retort as it threw me towards Aysun.

' _ **Guess not.**_ '

We hit the wall, but she got the worst of it, since she was being squished between me and the wall.

' _ **And quite squishy it is…**_ '

"Prince!" she pushed me away, red as a tomato.

"I didn't think it! It was him!" I tried to explain and dodge the sword at the same time. She huffed.

"We need to attack simultaneously!" she yelled and ran to the other side of the arena.

We climbed on two opposite ledges, and I whistled to it. Aysun called out at the same time. Confused, it hesitated for a moment. We jumped on its arms and ran up to its head, simultaneously stabbing its eyes and blinding it.

' _ **Good! You have robbed him of his sight! Now bring him to his knees!**_ '

"Come here and try doing this yourself, you perv!" Aysun backflipped away from a swipe.

' _ **He can no longer see you! Move in and attack him directly!**_ '

"Shut up, Howard!"

' _ **His legs, Prince! Cut them!**_ '

"Oh, so now you yell at  _me_?" I retort and continue slashing.

We are finally able to bring it down. Climbing on its back, I stab it once, jumping up before it can grab me. I stab its neck one more time, and start losing balance. I stretch my arm out and feel Aysun lever herself up. With the last of my balance I help her throw her body upwards. She craves her sword on the same spot I stabbed its neck and comes sliding down, dragging her sword along its spine. Yellow pus oozes out of the wound as the giant moans one last time and dies.

We hear a lock click and citizens come out of the animal cages.

"We're free! We're free!" they say. I start to feel the familiar burning under my skin as I begin to transform. I see the citizens come running at us to thank us.

"Keep away from me!" I try to keep them away. As I step back, I fall into a pit.

"Prince!" Aysun grabs my wrist, but I am too heavy and bring her down with me.

"OOF!" we fall on the floor, gasping for breath. Aysun shakes her head and looks at me. I realize we accidentally fell in a compromising position, with her straddling my waist. I don't pay much attention to it, the burning feeling increasing, and black swirls engulfing my body. Aysun scrambles to get off, but she is too late. Just as I finish transforming, she is blown away from me. Crashing to the wall, she groans and slides down.

"I hate you, Howard…" she mutters.

_The Prince fled from the arena, embarrassed by the unwanted attention, fearful that they might realize he was becoming a sand monster. But something taunted him; the freed citizens believed he had come to rescue them. The people, his people, now lived when they should have died. This was just an accident. His thoughts had been only of reaching the Vizier and exacting revenge. Perhaps now the Prince would remember he once fought for something other than his lost honor. It was simply too soon to tell…_


End file.
